How we met the first time around
by litaannkino
Summary: After the Great War, all Ratchet wants to do is live peacefully in retirement, but life has other plans for him. TF:Animated eventually Ratchet/Ironhide
1. Going about saying good bye and hello

**A/N:** Written out of boredom and because lacks Animated Ratchet/Ironhide fics.  
**Disclaimer:** Recognize it? Not mine.

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**How we met the first time around 1: Going about saying good bye and hello**

It was hard to say good-bye, especially to a medic. Ratchet sat somberly as the others took the corpse of one of his few friends away to be recycled, following the fate of all cybertronians. His designation was Omega Supreme, and only Primus knew what would become of his body after that. As his programming tragically dictated, Omega sacrificed himself to save the Autobot cause and ended the Great War with one hell of a bang, sending the All Spark to the far reaches of the universe.

Just after the officials loaded the last of Omega's remains (the poor guy had been dismembered in consequence to the explosions), Ratchet asked for some alone time with him.

"You were too young, my friend. Too young and kind," he mumbled, grieving the loss quietly. It brought back memories of eager soldiers whose lives were either cut short or forever traumatized, all witnessed by Ratchet.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired of fighting,' he sadly chuckled, patting the arm that was still connected to whatever remained of the torso.

After a moment of silence, the medic left, hoping to apply for honorable discharge and never EVER set foot in a battle zone for the remainder of his life.

Sadly, an honorable discharge was out of the question as even retired bots were put in for the efforts of helping the Elite Guard's formation. As the main military faculty of the postwar civilization, they had two purposes: to keep the peace and to keep Decepticons away from the recovering Cybertron. Ratchet grumbled with a new level of annoyance as fellow veteran and friend Wheeljack laughed at him.

"You did what to that Minor?" he managed between laughs.

"You heard me, Sentinel was getting on my last circuit so I gave him the literal demonstration of the phrase 'stick it up your tailpipe'…What's so funny?"

"Well, your luck for starters. Guess who's the doc-bot on Physical test duty for the recruits on this glorious orbit cycle?" Wheeljack could barely contain himself.

"I hate you, you slaggin' bastard."

"Today's roster is from the one, the only, Sentinel Minor!" Wheeljack added with a little flair to further aggravate Ratchet's humor

"I'm gonna have your head processor by the time I get through with this roster," Ratchet threatened before grabbing his equipment and heading off.

After settling in on the rather spacious medbay, he began to rant rather loudly about how there was no respect towards him or the other old bots that remained and how he was going to have a serious chat with Ultra Magnus.

"Bring in the first one already!" he yelled as he sat down. The first one's designation was Longarm, a quiet and rather charismatic cadet. He only talked about relevant topics as Ratchet proceeded with his check up. After him came a big guy, designation Bulkhead. He was a curious one, asking about little things and how they worked, and that slightly irritated Ratchet. The third was a snarky little one by the name of Wasp. 'Smart-aft punk,' he thought as he considered clocking him on the head to shut his rants up. He glanced at Wheeljack, who grinned and signaled that there were two more left.

"Who's next?" he asked tiredly, already annoyed at the first bunch and knowing there were plenty more to go.

"Right 'ere," an orange mech with a boisterous voice said. Once inside, Ratchet proceeded with the protocol interrogation.

"What's your name, cadet?"

"Ironhide, sir."

"First mistake, sparkling. DON'T call me sir," he growled, "Anything you want to tell me before I proceed?"

"Ya have a nice aft for an old bot," Ironhide smirked jokingly, further aggravating the doctor and causing Wheeljack to choke a laugh.

"Do yourself a favor boy," he said, raising a wrench tentatively (causing most of the medbay to be vacated in mere seconds), "and be quiet for the rest of the check up, or I will gladly demonstrate how this can cause your head to cave in with just one hit."

After a second of blissful silence, the caded challenged the notion, "I ain't like the rest of 'em, I'm not afraid of you."

"Oh really?" Ratchet asked as he worked on the dorsal area, curiousity piqued; either this Ironhide fellow was deaf to rumors and complaints or just incredibly stupid.

"Yeah, in fact, I think yer just a cranky, washed up medbot…OW!!" he proceeded to explain, interrupted by Ratchet's painful clutch and pull of several wires in his shoulder. He turned around and faced a grinning Ratchet, holding a few of them in his hand. "What the Pit was that for!?"

"You had such a _nasty _knot, I couldn't _resist_," he chuckled slyly, eliciting an angry growl from the cadet. "Drink some of this energon and you'll be good in the next mega-cycle," he prescribed, holding out a flask of said substance and shooing him out. In came the last cadet, a loud one by the name of Bumblebee, and out he came out not too long after, kicked out by the doctor himself.

"AND STAY OUT YOU LITTLE HEADACHE!"

"What's his problem?" the yellow 'bot complained after rubbing his dented posterior. He turned to the others, but only Ironhide replied with a chuckle.

"He's just grumpy 'cause he hasn't gotten any action since the war, know what I mean?" he laughed, earning a dangerously close call with a familiar wrench. "HA, YOU MISSED!"

"He's right, y'know," Wheeljack said grinning.

"Mute it," Ratchet grumbled.


	2. Someone to hate

**A/n: **Second chaper into this, please enjoy!  
**Disclaimer: Recognize it? Belongs to Hastak.**

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**How we met the first time around 2: Someone to hate**

As life would have it, it would not be the first nor the last time the doc 'bot would see of the cadets. Well, maybe for Bumblebee and Bulkhead, he never saw them on Academy Grounds again after the first check up.

"Rumor has it they got demoted to space bridge maintenance," First Aid, Ratchet's apprentice, said when Wheeljack inquired about the two.

"Is that so?" the engineer mused as he tinkered with a new invention.

"Yep, they dropped a whole building on Sentinel Minor," the trainee added, causing Ratchet to spit out his drink and chortle while 'Jack laughed.

"Serves 'im right!" the Chief Medical Officer snickered, wiping the spilt energon from his mouth.

After sharing a few more laughs with his coworkers, the medic left for his medbay with a content smile after getting paged about a patient waiting for him. "What seems to be the pro…" he began, cutting himself short when he saw who was on the table. His expression turned into annoyance as one Ironhide sat pleasantly as could be on it…with half his arm gone.

"What happened?" he asked as he took out replacement metal plating and circuitry.

"Well, can't ya guess?" he grinned, Ratchet noticing the crippling pain the cadet felt ooze through his words.

"Nope, now lay down. I'm going to turn off most of your pain receptors so you don't feel _much_," he instructed, pushing the young mech down gently.

Ratchet the Hatchet was known for two things in the Academy Grounds; first was his infamous temper and equally notorious aim, second was his workmanship. He was immersed in his work, making it thorough and exceptionally well done. Ironhide lay quiet, watching the older 'bot work on his injuries. He took a peculiar interest in how his hands moved.

"How's the shoulder?" Ratchet asked, linking a cable to its replacement.

"Oh, uh, it's been acting up a li'l, y'know with you pulling half of its wires out," he chuckled, surprised the CMO remembered something rather trivial.

"Ingrate," he grumbled as he welded metal plating. After inspecting the appendage for any other damage, he turned his attention to the shoulder injury, "Let me see, kid."

Surely, the wires from their last encounter were deteriorated to the point of rust. "Did you drink the energon I gave you?"

"No, it tasted wrong; was that important?" Ironhide answered nonchalantly.

Ratchet faced him with a grunt, "You're a stubborn glitch. I have to replace it or you'll get it infected. Learn to listen, sparkling!"

"I would if you didn't yell my audios off," 'Hide replied, slightly aggravated, "'Sides, it's YOUR fault it's like this."

"Look, I'm not about to bicker with a half witted cadet, so stuff it. I was only doing my job," the medic growled, "Now, you WILL drink what you are told and you WILL OBEY doctor's order, got it soldier?"

Ironhide glared and drew his optics elsewhere.

"You are to rest for the remainder of the cycle and not overexert yourself for ten megacycles. If I see you around here before then, I will personally throw you out like the stupid little glitch that you are," Ratchet ordered, scribbling on a data pad and handing it over to the cadet.

The orange cadet grumbled inaudibly, took the pad and left in a huff.

"What was that all about?" First Aid asked as he entered the medbay for his practice.

"Stupid fragger got himself injured and has the guts to blame me!" Ratchet ranted angrily.

"Hate to break it to you, but you got another page…" First Aid relayed, already ducking for cover.

"Don't say it…"

"It's the twins; they, um," the trainee began, but the medic was already stalking through the bay before he could finish.

"ACK, RUN SUNNY!" was the only warning the yellow Lamborghini twin heard from his red brother before a wrench clonked him into submission.

Meanwhile, the red mech walked away from the medical facilities with an annoyed growl on his face towards the Academy Grounds. He'd get back at that stubborn medic, somehow.

It was just a matter of how and when.


	3. Rose

**A/n:** Recognize it? Hastak property.

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**How we met the first time around 3: Rose**

After finishing with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, Ratchet decided a little break was in order.

"Going out, cover for me, would ya?" he asked Wheeljack. He nodded in consent; remembering that their superiors at the Academy weren't too keen on their officers playing hooky. Slowly, but surely, the old van made his way through the building undetected by anyone of importance or squealing tendencies.

Present Cybertron to Ratchet was the very definition of a miracle. He privately enjoyed the sight of others walking the roads and generally going about their day. He chuckled quietly as a youngling clung to its femme parental unit, none too pleased at being denied an energon goodie.

Not too long ago, those roads would've been deserted and the only cybertronians there would be the corpses of soldiers and innocents from both factions. Ratchet shuddered at the memory of the piles of bodies that made the landscape, how he hoped to find a living spark hidden in them.

_Get over it, you old piece of junk. The war's over and the Decepticons are either gone or somewhere out in the universe…_he thought somberly as he made his way through the metropolis.

He looked up and found himself at a familiar abode. It was a little piece of quaint and tranquility amidst the rush of city life. He knocked on the door and waited.

"Hello?" a voice inquired rather insecurely.

Ratchet smiled and replied, "It's just me Arcee."

Slowly, the door opened revealing its occupant hiding behind it. Arcee was still as beautiful as the medic had met her. Her soft body curves bent in a timid stance behind the door, her red and pink colored armor just a smidge faded from age and wear, her big blue optics shining with life.

"R-Ratchet, was it?"

"You remembered, that's great!" he exclaimed warmly. He opened his arms and let her hug him tightly.

"I missed you, Ratchet," she giggled as she held him. "Please come inside!" she added, pulling on the older mech's arm. He smiled at her change of demeanor, it meant she did recognize him and was finally comfortable around him.

"How's life been treating you, dear friend?" he asked as she handed him a flask of energon to drink. She sat down with one of her own by a table and offered him to do the same.

"Same old, same old. Making due with what I've got!" she cheerily answered, starting the typical reacquainting conversation. They talked about everything they could think of; jobs, life, love or in Ratchet's case, as Arcee humorously said, lack of.

"Look missy, these joints and bolts aren't as strong as they used to be! I can't take a lover due to extreme medical reasons!" he huffed.

"Yeah, right. And I'm a newly sparked femme who doesn't know left from right," she replied. That comment reminded Ratchet how Arcee had come to be; she really was just like a sparkling, starting from the ground up from a war accident involving him and his lost EMP generator.

"Don't give me that," she said comfortingly, "It doesn't matter anymore, Ratchet."

"I still feel like there's something I could've done."

"Ratch, I don't mind it anymore. I might not be the same person I was before, but hey, I'm alive aren't I? And it's all thanks to you. For that, you have my undying gratitude and I love you for it. So don't dwell on it, my friend," she said, touching his faceplate and pecking a kiss on his chevron.

"I love you too," he replied, their love a platonic, friendly love. Noticing the time, he excused himself politely.

"Take care, Arcee," he said, bidding his farewell.

"You too, you cantankerous 'bot," she grinned.

At least now, the femme thought, he could go on with his life without too much grouchiness or so she hoped.


	4. Chess play interlude

**A/N: **Recognize it? Not mine.

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**Chess play**

Bumblebee was furious. No, that would be an understatement; he was downright enraged! He fumed and stalked through the warehouse, making his way to his berth. He had abruptly left the Autobots' makeshift command center after hearing the new orders from one Optimus Prime. The orders were simple and insulting towards his person: the yellow 'bot was to be left out of the upcoming battle and stay behind with Ratchet and Sari. That meant that only Prowl, Bulkhead and Prime were active in the conflict with a rogue Starscream.

"Who does Prime think he is?!…Fine, he's a Prime, whatever! That does NOT give him right to take me out of a fight I can most certainly help out!" he ranted as he pressed the code to enter the playroom.

Not surprisingly, Sari was there, lounging and watching TV. Ratchet was probably in the command center with the rest of those…those traitors! She turned and faced her angry friend, "Still mad, huh?"

"Slag yeah! I mean how could he do that? I'm as useful as the ninja-bot and Bulky!" 'Bee cursed, startling the humanoid girl quite a bit. He quickly apologized and sat down besides her.

"Well, that's a stupid question," Ratchet said as he entered the room, looking for the energon dispenser, "then again, it IS Bumblebee we're talking about…" he trailed in mock realization.

"Don't start, you grumpy scrapper," the younger mech growled, earning a mere shrug from the offender.

"Fine, be that way. I was only answering your question, as obvious as it was."

"Out with it! I'm in no mood for games!" 'Bee snapped.

The ambulance grinned a little and replied nonchalantly, "Too bad, I am."

"Alright, what do you want to play? Some archaic game that I've never even heard of, or mind games to trick me into embarrassing myself?" 'Bee grumbled.

"Chess. Mind games with you are a bore," the old 'bot answered, "Blitzwing's an entirely different story."

"True that," Sari quipped as Ratchet prepared the table and game board, "Can I watch?"

"Sure thing," the red and white mech said softly, "but I must warn you, it's gonna be a short game," he added with a chuckle as the little girl got comfortable on his lap.

"Just start the game!" the yellow 'bot said exasperated, "I'm white."

"Always impetuous, hmm? Fine, I'm black. Now then, to answer your question, let's say that you're Megatron," Ratchet started.

"Why am I Megatron!"

"Because you wanted to play first, unless you want to change sides and join the Autobot cause. In that case, I'll be ol' Megs," he answered, changing the board's sides and causing Sari to giggle.

"Suits you just fine," 'Bee muttered.

Ratchet ignored him and continued. "Now listen. For all intended purposes, I'm Megatron and you're Optimus," he began, moving a Pawn two spaces as his starting play, "and this will simulate how battles play out."

"Pssh, real battles don't play out so easily!" Bumblebee scoffed, playing a pawn himself, blocking Ratchet's pawn.

"Just stick to the rules of the game and think like Prime," the SIC sighed as he played a Knight piece.

'Ok, if I were Prime, then I'd play it safe with putting the strong first…' 'Bee thought, moving the Queen and capturing the pawn. Ratchet played only another pawn, hoping that 'Bee would take the bait.

And he did, capturing the Knight. "Ha! Checkmate!"

Ratchet grinned, moving the Bishop and capturing the piece, "No, just check. The game goes on."

'Slag, that was sucked…stick to the defense!' 'Bee thought stubbornly.

Slowly, the game picked up pace as the two slowly ate away their forces. Ratchet moved cautiously, baiting and capturing more and more pieces as Bumblebee 'countered' his every move. It came to a point where there was only few pieces left on the board.

"Old man, you're toast!" 'Bee exclaimed as he ate one of Ratchet's bishop. "That was for the dead Queen!"

"Hmm, typical Optimus. '_An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young / a dirge for her the Doubly Dead in that she died so young'_," Ratchet stated as he moved a piece and ate his bishop.

"What are you babbling about?"

"It's called American literature, try it some time…oh, look at that, Checkmate," he announced, showing that the King was trapped between the last remaining white pieces' attack lines.

"How—When—Buh??" he stammered in disbelief at his defeat.

"You played Optimus too well," Ratchet answered. Noticing the confusion on both 'Bee and Sari's faces, he sighed and proceeded to explain.

"See, when you played, you went offense first and relied on the strongest card in the suit to take you through the game. When you lost it, you predictably switched to defense instead of applying pressure and it let me read through your strategy like a book.

"Megatron, on the other hand, behaves like a shark, nibbles and teases before he attacks…and when he does, he plays it smart, slowly chipping away the front while making Prime believe that he is winning. Once he's got him in that state of mind, he charges in for his King, disregarding whatever or whoever it may cost him as long as it gets the job done…Something Optimus will never think of applying himself."

"Huh?"

"Prime would never sacrifice his precious King and would rather surrender," he added, while gently pushing the black King down, "than see him dead."

"But what about the rest of them?" Sari asked, pointing at the defeated pieces.

"Again, since 'Bee played Prime to the letter, dear Sari, he had no control of what happened to them after Megatron's plan was set in motion. Prime, as good a leader as he wants to be, has a lot to learn to counter the Decepticon leader's skills if he wants his 'kingdom' to live."

"Ok…how does this game answer my first question?" Bumblebee asked, still a bit confused.

Ratchet sighed and rolled his optics in frustration. He picked up the fallen King and gave it to the young 'bot. "The game is to protect the King at all costs, regardless of who of us dies along the way…" he whispered into Bumblebee's audios before taking Sari out for a ride.

He looked at the piece intensely and thought for a moment before it all fit in and inwardly smiled.


End file.
